Poll: Who Is To Blame For Small Business Woes?

Last week, we posted about Public Advocate Bill de Blasio’s plans to sue Mayor Michael Bloomberg in order to force him to release information regarding fines distributed to small businesses. De Blasio claims that the city is doling out fines irresponsibly to fill city coffers, and the results are hurting neighborhood commerce.

Now, another local politician, Congressman Bob Turner, is calling out President Barack Obama, saying federal taxes and regulations are fueling local unemployment rates.

Turner held a “Stop the Tax Hike” event on Friday, teaming up with the Brighton Beach Business Improvement District and small business owners to speak about the economy and how tax increases affect their businesses and unemployment.

After speaking with several small business owners in the area, Turner claimed that, for the first time in almost three years, business owners say that taxes – as opposed to poor sales – is the most serious issue they are struggling with today.

But while de Blasio blames the city, and Turner blames the fed, Bensonhurst-Bay Ridge Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis is blaming the state. In April, Malliotakis held an event with Bay Ridge business owners, telling them that, though there were some pro-business accomplishments in Albany this year, the state is still hurting local businesses with excessive regulations and paperwork, taxes hidden in utility bills, and fees devised to pay off the state’s debt.

So which is hurting small business owner the most? Federal government, state government, or city government? Or are small business woes simply the result of the sluggish economy?

How about all the trade policies that exported so many jobs & sent most manufacturing companys overseas, destroyed so many unions, the crimenel bankers. Why five years of double digit water increases, & every year Con Edison wants more, with rising food prices & super high health care costs, the middle class is finished. That’s the way narrow minded religious southern politicans plan to make this country a third world of rich & poor. And rule by their fundermentalist religion with hatred for Woman Rights , Gay Rirights, medical marijuana, , evolution & science, abortion, birth control. Let’s hope the South never rises, again! It’s vey sad that not one state in the south has medical marijuana, or civil unions.

Whwsailboat

No businessman or woman would ever admit that they were the
cause of their business failure. It will always be something or someone else
that causes their business woes. If they don’t lack customers is their business
model at fault?

The fact of the matter is a lack of customers. But there is no
dearth of customers at big box and chain businesses. So the problem of small
business in particular begs the question: Why are they having such a
hard time while the big box and chain stores trip over each other in this city?

If the answer is that regulations and taxes are killing them,
why aren’t the big boys also affected? Of course they have the volume to
support the taxes and regulations that consumer ultimately bare. And we assume
they operate under the same taxes and regulations, correct? If not, why aren’t politicians
investigating that? If small businesses are important, politicians need to explore
ways to level the playing field by saddling big box stores with the burdens
that small businesses have in the same proportion as their sales. This assumes
that the taxes and regulations are needed to maintain city services and safety.

Big box stores would love doing away with taxes and
regulations as much as small business but they also know that if it helps eliminate
their competition so be it; especially if they have a favorable ear in
government to get special favors and breaks for themselves. How will the little
guy will ever be competitive?

Tax and regulations issues can give the big box stores a
competitive advantage that they know very well. That is why “business” politicians
have no plans to upset them (they need their campaign donations) but placate
small business with their crocodile tears “for small business”. If anyone thinks
big business cares about small business they are grossly mistaken. Until we all
realize the destructive, manipulative and unholy alliance big business, big
banks, big insurance companies etc. have with the government and the resulting instability
and inequality this generates there is little hope for small businesses.

Small business has been sold a destructive lie that they are
just like big business only smaller. It’s a red herring to argue government vs.
business. The real divide is between big business manipulating government and
the rest of us.

mehhh

It is IMPOSSIBLE to have the customer flow as big operations still do because as a small business owner I can’t spent 1.2 million a year on advertising and I can’t match the prices advertised because I don’t buy in such bulk to get lowest wholesale.
I closed my last location when Radio Shack ran a holiday special during christmas selling what I was selling BELOW cost just to get rid of old stock,big selling items they are selling at below cost during the time we are supposed to make out like bandits.Everyone saw the full color ads in the the Daily News and on the side of bus’s…put me,and a few other local stores out that January.
What would you consider I should of done in that situation?

Whwsailboat

Small business can not compete with big box and chain stores and which result in your loss mentioned. Politicans promising to lower taxes and regulations will not solve the problem. Our society decided to allow these entites to wipe out small businesses. Unless that changes, their is little you can do. See the last line of my post.

With Bloomberg giving contracts to companies out of NYC and giving companies like Verizon right of way small business is doomed. Everything (even when he throws us dogs a bone) he does is only to make more $$ for himself and his cronies.
I like the idea to establish the amount of a fine by the profit/size of the business.
When a big box store breaks a rule paying a small fine is easy. Amplify the amount to fit the stores pockets.

The best thing that could happen would be to tax everyone and everything 10% (or something like it) of their gross/net. This was brought up before but it’s like a black hole. The suggestion disappears never to be seen again.

The rich and those who do their bidding. Middle class is a thing of the past. It took Bloomie buying himself more time in office to accomplish the final blows. I still can’t figure how he got away with it. So much of what he has done needs to be undone for us to have a fighting chance.